Brutal Honesty
by italianvampiremafia
Summary: "Are you clinically insane?" Narcissa Black gives Lily Evans a verbal slap in the face after hearing an argument between James and Lily.


_Quick Author's Note:_

_Sorry for a bit of unoriginality but Lily and James are their typical fan fiction personas. I don't own anything related to the world created by J.K. Rowling nor was I the first to come up with a stubborn Lily and a newly changed, frustrated and in love James._

_Narcissa says everything I would say to Lily for not going after James Potter. I'm hoping it reads like a sarcastic verbal slap in the face. Sorry the first few paragraphs are a little rough._

**Brutal Honesty**

James Potter and Lily Evans sat in the library working amicably on the prefect schedule for the upcoming month. It was the end of February and they had surprisingly become polite acquaintances, if not good friends, over the course of their time together as Head Boy and Girl.

James had only asked Lily out once in October, after they had their fourth full polite conversation. He profusely apologized for asking her out when it clearly made her uncomfortable and they agreed to try to be friends (without any random invitations to Hogsmeade).

James was overjoyed at his new friendship with Lily and getting to know her personally only made him fall in love with her for real. Lily, however, was confused by James' behavior. She was feeling ambivalent about James' lack of asking her out constantly.

James broke into Lily's thoughts on his behavior by stretching his arms out and groaning. "It looks like we finally finished this bloody scheduling!" James gave Lily his signature crooked smile.

Lily laughed at his obvious relief that their work was finally over, "Looks like it."

James stood up, "Well, I would love to stay and chat but I have to head off to Quidditch practice. We have a big game against Hufflepuff coming up!"

Lily said a goodbye to James before starting to pack up their parchments and schedules. Lily groaned quietly to herself as she thought about watching James playing Quidditch, his sexy arms throwing the Quaffle through the hoops… She shook her head quickly. She would not go out with James Potter, she thought, he did not care about her like that nor would she want him to. She reminded herself quickly all the things he had done wrong in the past and all the times he had asked her out, a habit she had started this year to counteract all the considerate things James now did for her. She would never date James Potter.

"Oh! Lily," James started, turning back to the table as if he forgot something important, throwing her a boyish grin. "I was wondering if–"

"NO, Potter!" Lily interrupted, eyes suddenly glaring at the head boy, slightly panicked but still angry. She stood up from the chair she was occupying, knocking it down in the process. "I don't care how nice, polite and responsible you are _pretending _to be in some screwed up plan to shag me! I will _never _go out with you. I would never even consider going out with a _boy_ who is as egotistical, selfish and cruel as you. I would never treat the people around me like you treat anyone you believe to be against your beliefs. You are a bulling toe-rag, Potter. All you'll ever be to me is a stupid, immature git."

Lily stood panting for a minute once she had stopped her tirade against James.

James took a calming breath before speaking. With that breath his demeanor seemed to age five years, at least. He looked both exasperated and defeated at Lily's sudden random outburst but spoke with calm politeness, "I was wondering if you wanted to get together tomorrow so I could help you with Transfiguration. McGonagall informed me that she had told you that you needed a tutor to boost your grade for N.E.W.T.s. When she asked me to be your tutor I agreed; however, I figured that I would end up being more of a study partner so we could just solidify your skills because you're already great at magic but get a little frustrated with Transfiguration."

He took another breath before continuing; however, this time his calm slipped and he spoke slowly with a slightly more irritated and insulted tone. "I was _not _going to ask you out. I was _not _going to put you in a position that would make you uncomfortable. Nor am I being _respectful_ to you because I simply want a 'shag' as you put it. I have said nothing in any way to offend you. However, you have said at least five offensive things to me in just a few sentences. Despite what you think, you are not a better person than I am. The only one being immature here is you."

With that, James strode past Lily leaving her standing at their table staring at the place he once occupied. Behind her back, James gave an angry punch to the wall (followed by a few choice swear words) as soon as he exited the library.

Lily was awakened by her trance by slow clapping coming from her right. "Wow, Evans. Just, _wow_."

Lily turned to see Narcissa Black, a Slytherin seventh year, leaning against a bookshelf. "What do you want?" Lily snapped.

"I was just wondering… Are you by any chance clinically insane?" Narcissa pondered.

"I am not in the mood for this right now, Black."

Narcissa continued as if Lily had not interrupted, "Because almost any girl in our year—hell the whole school – would kill to be in _your _shoe, just so that Potter would look at them the way he looks at you." Lily started to interject but the Slytherin girl continued, "First of all, he looks at you as if you're air and he has been drowning your whole life." She held up one finger. "Second, the only person I see here that doesn't accept people for not having the same beliefs is _you_. Third, all I see Potter do is defend you, or try to help you." She held up a third finger before dropping her hand to her side.

Narcissa continued her brutal honesty with complete calm. "He offers to tutor you without gain for himself and I constantly see him defending you against us when we call you a mudblood. And I hear that you mudbloods don't enjoy being called mudbloods. Despite that, you are just as prejudiced about Potter being a Pureblood as I am against you for being a filthy Muggle."

Lily started, "You don't know what you're talking about. Potter and I would never work bec—"

"You know what," Narcissa stopped Lily's excuses for a third time. "Maybe you're right. You could just keep on hating Potter forever. Why don't you continue being angry and bitter about it for the rest of your life? That way, you can end up single, miserable and forty because no one will _ever_ be good enough for the precious Lily Evans. Potter will end up married with a family he loves so much he would _die_ to protect them. Trust me, not everyone gets the chance to raise their children with a loving and supportive husband. I don't even have the power to _choose_ my own husband. But you go ahead and pass up the perfect man for you, Evans. Because you are just. that. special."

"Potter is hardly qualifies as the ideal future husband for me, Black." Lily scoffed.

Laughing darkly, "Oh really, then _please_ tell me what your perfect man would be like."

Lily seemed to pause, not sure whether to answer honestly or just walk away from the Slytherin who she hated and who hated Lily in return. "He would be accepting and loving. He would love and accept me for who I am and not who he wants be to be. He would protect the people he loves and cares about. He would never waver in his beliefs to please others. And I would want him to be passionate. We could be having quiet, peaceful romantic moments one minute but have heated arguments because not every relationship is picture perfect. All the good couples row like mad one minute and shag each other senseless the next. Above all, I want to be proud of the man I choose to have and raise children with."

Narcissa shook her head. "You know, you and Potter are _exactly _the same: oblivious. Why don't you think about those traits you just listed? Who do you think already fits them?" The Slytherin sighed before turning to exit the library.

She stopped a few feet from the door and turned back to a stunned Lily, "And I hate to quote a Muggle, but it's true. It is a thin line between love and hate." With that, Narcissa swept her blonde hair over her shoulder and strode out of the library.

_Next chapter will be when Lily and James get together. Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think, even if it is as seemingly insignificant as a misplaced comma or misspelled word. Critiques welcome._


End file.
